Tuesday, October 24, 2006

The Return of Juba the Snipe

The “Central Media Commission” of the “Islamic Army in Iraq” has released the second installment of the “Juba: BaghdadSniper” series. This episode lasts 28 minutes. The first part had been released in November 2005, and even warranted an entry at Wikipedia, see here.

In this latest edition, the Islamic Army in Iraq (IRI) claims that in the preceding year (since last year’s Ramadhan), its “Snipers Brigade” had “harvested” the following results:

634 American soldiers killed.206 American soldiers wounded.23 American officers killed.11 American snipers killed.

“Juba: Baghdad Sniper, Part II” is billed as the IAI’s Eid holiday “gift” to the “People of Monotheism”—or the Islamic Nation.

CNN had obtained similar footage from the IAI and took the controversial decision of airing some clips on last Wednesday’s (Oct. 18, 2006) “Anderson Cooper 360” program. Part II, released a couple of days ago on several jihadi websites, seems to be far better edited and packaged than the CNN footage.

This is what CNN had to say about it (from the show’s transcript):

CNN obtained the graphic tape through intermediaries from the Islamic Army of Iraq, one of the most active insurgent organizations in the country.

It is titled "Latest Sniper Operations in Baghdad." Accents, license plates and street signs seem to indicate the sniper attacks in fact have occurred here in the capital. A careful review of the entire video by CNN technicians found no evidence the images had been electronically manipulated.

The tape documents 10 incidents, all of which appear recent. But there's no way to confirm precisely when or where the attacks took place, or which U.S. units were involved, or what happened to the targeted soldiers.

The tape comes as the Islamic Army calls to renew talks with the United States, and as Islamist Internet postings call for a P.R. campaign aimed at influencing the American public.

The images are markedly different from insurgent sniper videos on the Internet. On this one, we hear the voices of the snipers selecting American targets.

Here, the spotter warns the shooter he only sees Iraqis, until he's sure he's identified an American.

I will read you his name. We wanted to ask the U.S. military about the insurgent sniper tactics, but no one was made available to CNN in Washington or Baghdad. Officials refused to discuss the sniper operations and related casualties, citing the safety of U.S. troops, though they acknowledge, the menace is real.

But it seems that the Islamic Army was only manipulating CNN to showcase a “promo” of the actual release. It is as if the jihadists used a global media giant to hype up their propaganda product and alert young Middle Easterners to stay tuned for when Part II becomes available for download in its entirety.

Part II opens with a stocky man in a ski mask entering a brightly lit room. The lens is in soft focus. He places his sniper rifle, Beretta gun, walkie-talkie and some ammunition shells on a white-clothed table, and then adds scratch marks to a calendar on the wall, presumably adding to his number of recent “kills.” There are 37 scratch marks.

The man then draws back a black plastic chair and sits at the table. From the back, we see him pull of his mask. The camera then angles above his right shoulder to focus on a lined notebook and a pen.

The man begins to write, and an “otherworldly” voice with a deep echo reads out the neat penmanship. There are English subtitles throughout.

“Oh Muslim Nation,” the man writes, “How can the eye turn away from the one who saw your land which was conquered yesterday by our Muslim grandfathers blood and today it is being desecrated by the Jews and Crusaders.” [English translation as appeared in the subtitles]

He goes on to lament the fate of our “brothers” in Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo, Afghanistan and Palestine. The camera zooms in towards the notebook at the end of this tedious scene as the writer/narrator calls for the implementation of Islamic shari’a law.

Then we see victim no. 1 sitting in the revolving turret of a Humvee. The vehicle is parked in what appears to be a busy road in Iraq. The easily identifiable American soldier then appears within digitally added red crosshairs, and a shot is fired. He slumps dead.

By my count, this video release shows 27 American soldiers being shot, and by the looks of it, many of these ended up being probable fatalities given that they were hit directly in the head.

Another victim is a gunner of an Abrams M-1 tank. He is also hit in the head. For victim no. 9, the image is so crisp that we see smoke emerging from his helmet. Victim no. 10’s helmet actually flies off vertically after taking a hit.

Throughout these images, there are clips from an “interview with the commander of the sniper brigades in Baghdad,” who appears with a large white dot covering his face, and is also wearing a red kuffiah.

Judging by the shape of his hands, the “commander” is the same person who appeared earlier and wrote the diary entry.

He is well-spoken, and is clearly an Iraqi. At one point, he mentions a book called “The Ultimate Sniper” by a top ranked Marine sniper named “Major John Plaster,” which a textbook that the insurgents use to train a fresh crop of snipers. The way he pronounced the title of the book indicates that the “commander” is proficient in English. It is not a stretch of the imagination to assume that one way this person gets to lug around a sniper rifle without getting thoroughly searched at checkpoints is by having Coalition security badges. He may actually be working as a translator or guide for the Americans, then takes pot shots at them off-duty. Just a thought.

He claims that many more snipers are being trained, but “the one who uses [a sniper rifle] must be a unique person that meets special requirements to the job, like a steady hand, concentration and an eagle eye.” He claims that Saddam-era sniper rifles are abundant and that the previous regime used to manufacture such rifles in Iraq under the brand name “Tabuk.”

He is being interviewed by a long-haired person, either a female reporter or a Western male reporter with unkempt hair. He disputes a claim made on a German channel that the “Baghdad Sniper” had been killed. He also goes on to speculate as to why American soldiers began nicknaming him “Juba” and thinks that it has something to do with an “African death dance.”

The “commander” follows up by describing the psychological effect of the sniper weapon on the “enemy” saying that after taking a shot, the “frightened American soldiers” scurry around “running like mice” and not knowing what hit them.

He identifies himself as a member of the Islamic Army in Iraq.

This is funny, because Al-Hayat Newspaper reported on October 19 that American officials are holding secret talks in the Jordanian capital Amman with representatives of the Islamic Army.

Not only is someone from the American side negotiating with people who have American blood on their hands, but they are actually having a sit down with people who are openly gloating of having American blood on their hands.

Many policy experts are advocating a general amnesty for all insurgents minus Al-Qaeda. But that would also include “Juba.” It means that he would be off the hook, even after claiming responsibility for killing 668 American soldiers and wounding another 206, over the course of a single year.

I wonder how American families who’ve lost soldiers in Iraq through Juba’s crosshairs would feel about that.

33 Comments:

You cannot blame these guys for resisting, I am sure if America was invaded its citizens would fight back in any manner possible.The fact is the US army kills iraqis indiscriminately, only this monday 4 iraqi firefighters were "mistakenly" killed after they where pulled over by US troops, apparently they got out of the truck too quckly and the soldier mistook them for armed insurgents!. The US army offers $2000 dollars in exchange for a signed waiver to the families as compensation, would any American accept this as justice?.

dont hear for this lier Nibras Kazimihe is just a shia man who usually help any occupations in any country they live in to be paid. i adivce you to run away befor mojahedeen catch you and apart your head from your body. bad news for you.. your masters the americans in iraq wishing to stay alive atleast for one more day....dont feel so bad, this is the future of all usless people like you. we just waitting for the american troops to be out of iraq and see who look like you kiss there feets to help you-out.

important information for non muslims: the muslims dont count shiaa as muslims. be cairful they are NOT muslims.

Most of these guys are Ba'athists, who are bitter over losing power. When they were in power, they did unspeakable crimes. Their archives and the mass graves they'd filled in are slowly being uncovered, and are gradually exposing the totalitarian nightmare that was the Saddam regime.

The other major component of the insurgency are the jihadists like Al-Qaeda and Zarqawi. I don't think I need to explain what their dark cause is all about.

So even if all the Americans did was hug people and give out $100 bills, the Ba'athists and Al-Qaeda would still want to kill them. The fact that they are also wantonly killing Iraqis should tell you how little they themselves value Iraqi life and sovereignty.

So anyone selling the insurgency to you as some sort of "Iraqi resistance" is just peddling plain, steaming BS. Consumer beware.

Yes it is. But you don't have to kill or capture all of them. At one point, portions of the rank and file, as well as would-be recruits, would see the insurgency as a dead end, and abandon taking up arms against the Iraqi state.

At that point, an amnesty can be discussed. But not now, not when the insurgents would brand it a victory for their murderous cause.

Not neat, or rhetorical Nibras. My sister is in the US Army, as are some of my closest friends. A soldier that I knew from the town I grew up in has already been killed. Some or all of my friends and family have already been to Iraq, and some or all are going back in the next months. For me, it is about friends and loved ones that may end up dead or hurt.

I am asking these questions because I want to know what you think would be an acceptable way to try to end the insurgencies.

There was a vagueness in your prior comment, and I asked you to clarify. If you feel that my question was inappropriate, I apologize. I did not mean to offend you with my question. That was not my intent.

Nevertheless, I disagree with your narrow parameters for the granting of amnesty. I acknowledge that I am looking at this from a different perspective, though, as my paramount concern is for American forces.

For me, I would be willing to countenance amnesty for insurgents if they were willing to lay down their arms and disband (I would do the same for militia groups). Even insurgents that had attacked American forces (as I don't think the group of insurgents that haven't attacked Americans would be large enough to make an amnesty effective).

Most of these guys are Ba'athists, who are bitter over losing power. When they were in power, they did unspeakable crimes. Their archives and the mass graves they'd filled in are slowly being uncovered, and are gradually exposing the totalitarian nightmare that was the Saddam regime.

The other major component of the insurgency are the jihadists like Al-Qaeda and Zarqawi. I don't think I need to explain what their dark cause is all about.

This is rubbish, of course. Anyone who knows anbything, ather than spouts Bushie propaganda, about the Iraqi resistance knows that most of it is nationalistic, and the majority of it is opposed to Al Qaeda in Iraq (AQIA)

There must be no discrimination if there is an amnesty. I consider Juba a regular fighter, who at least is not commiting any atrocities against his victims.

Hell, you're at war, the best thing that can happen to you is to get killed by a single bullet.

Atrocities and war crimes are what I oppose. I am from Bosnia and most of my broader family members have survived concentration camps. Most of them were begging for a bullet in the head, but wouldn't get one.

Amnesty is OK for people who were fighting against an army, but there should be no amnesty for people responsible for the deaths of civilians.

I think it's amazing to hear how someone who is resisting a foreign army that occupied their land thru an illeagal war can be called an "Insurgent" or "Terrorist"You all sit behind your computers and pass judgment on these people for rightly resisting our army. Which one of you would allow an invading army in your city to occupy that city because they believe BUSH is a war criminal? Exactly! None of you. And why arent all you war mongers in Iraq? Get from behind your computer in you nice home or office and grab a rifle and go fight the "Terrorist" I believe that every american in Iraq deserves exactly what's coming to them. When you take part in a illegal invasion because your "following orders" then welcome to Juma scope! Be sure to zig zag as you walk because he seems to be right on target!

poor jews they have been hated foreverbut thats okay becuase we have isreal and no muslim can take that

lol 3 muslim nations combined have tried and we wooped there asses in 6 days wtf do you thing one sniper will (juba probably ist real and consists of a group of snipers)do it wont put fear into the troops of any nation

you fools resist as you please it wont change a thing becuase our forces are too strong

Go Juba Go, kill many of the invaders.You are a true hero to everyone.Juba is the Vasilli Zeitsev of Russia.Poor american fools are demoralize from Juba.Go Juba , send the fuckers back home in body bags

LOL Poor American Fools? OK OK is that why it only took us a short amount of time to storm the whole country of IRAQ and to this day continue to waste poor dumb asses who think they can run around like cowards. Yeah that's right I said cowards. Cowards who know they don't have a chance in hell at winning a fair battle.

Let me tell you what. It's ignorant assholes like you who ruin it for the good people in IRAQ who just want to get on with life and raise they're children in peace.

There is a difference here with the US killings and the Terrorist killings. How in the hell do u guys even respect a guy like this juba dude? I mean yes there are innocent people that died from the US army but there is a difference.

US Troops killed innocent people: Wasnt intentionally but accidentall.Juba + Al-Queda kill innocent soldiers who are there to help iraq and its people to have there freedom. And yet it seems to me alot of innocent people there think our soldiers are devils or are being fed false information on US troops by these terrorist so they can turn there backs on us and make our job out there of trying to help them harder.

See the differences. If we were there to take your damn oil and run your country, I guarantee the US wouldve don that with ease, but we arent stupid like your former dead leader saddam. Us americans already love the way life is in america so what do we do, we try an help out other countries that want to live the same way we do, and that is being, "FREE" to live life and not worry we will beheaded or tortured for some dumb reason, thats what jail is for. For those who want to break the law, its your choice if u want to do wrong or do good. :)

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